Rock Island daily Argus., 1887-05-02
MAKING A GLASS EYE.
IT TAKES A GOOD MANY TRIALS
TO GET A PERFECT ONE.
The Principal Objection to Artificial
Eyes Is the Difficulty of Expressing
Emotion Through Them-Secrets of
the Manufacture Revealed.


the Manufacture Revealed.
The recent attempt in this city to substitute
a rabbits eve for one of human being calls
attention to a branch of commerce of which
little is generally known-the manufacture
of glass eyes. Articles have often been
written of their use and the amusement Incl
dental thereto, but of the manufacture Of the
artificial eye hltie has been said The reason
for this lies Ill the fact that of the thousands
of those eyes used III this country the ma
jority come from Berlin, London and Paris,
those manufactured in the latter city being
especially artistic In this city there is only
one firm that manufactures eyes to any large
extent The other dealers are simply i'm
porterS. 1t Is seldom that visitors are ad-
mittcd into the sacred precincts of the labora-
tory where the manufacture is carried on
An nir of mystery surrounds the place, re
mndins one of the DAYS when the alchemist
was considered in league with the devil and
sorcey the means by which he worked
IL requires Years OF experience before the
eye and hand OF the artisan becomes sufIi-
ciently skilled to perfectly initiate in glass the
human eye. The glass has to be especially
prepared aud the secret of this preparation is
only known to the workman. As the eye is
not susceptible of actual measurement, the
size as we'll as the color must depend upon the
skill of the maker.
IN TIE woRKMEN'S HANDS
In making an artificial eye the glass passes
through the hands of three workmcn These
men sit before small work benches hidden by
a solid board fence or railing. Underneath,
one foot rests upon treadle which works a
small bellows. Directly in front of them IS
an ordinary gas Jet with small sheet iron
cover, having an opening at the top like the
chute OF Il wheat elevator. BY the aid of the
bellows tins Is converted into 4 small blast
furnace The intensity of the heat is shown
by the blue color of the flame that slouts
from the mouth of the chute. On each side
of the Iurnauce is small cushion about five
inches high
Taking a hollow glass cylinder about the
SIZE and length of an ordinary lead pencil the
workman turns on the gas, and, resting his
elbows upon these cushions, begins opera
tons by holding the end of the tube in the
flame Then, by gently blowing, aided by
considerable manipulation, he produces upon
the end OF the tube cone resembling in color
the fine French china his is to represent
the white of the eye
This cone, still attached to the long stem, is
nov turned over 10 the second workman He
places the point before the flame. and picking
up long. slender stick, he begins 10 work on
the extreme tip OF the cone Tins slender
stick Is enamel, and looks like the cat gui
string OF bass vi1i that had been varliished
Near at hand are all the principal colors Of
the human iris in these slender sticks OF
enamel To produce the intermediate. hues
or any distinct peculiarIty, two OF the sticks
are held in the fame and twirled around unit
a third stick of the desired color is produced
Uniting the white tip Of the conc with the
seek of enamel under the flame, the TIP dis
appears, and in its place comes the rounded
outer surface OF the eye with a dark spot rep
resentnlg the basis of the color'ing matter, OF
iris